ELF 2018: Nuclear is the best energy tech for Mars but solar is most convenient

Bas Lansdorp, CEO and Co-founder of Mars One, aims to establish a permanent habitable settlement on the red planet

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A nuclear power station would be the best energy technology for Mars but solar is the most convenient.

That’s the view of Bas Lansdorp, CEO and Co-founder of Mars One, which aims to establish a permanent habitable settlement on the red planet, with the first demonstration mission expected in 2022.

Speaking to ELN at the Energy Live Future event in London yesterday, he said: “We have assumed a mission built on solar power because it is the least complex technology that you can use. Nuclear is the best solution for Mars because you have it day and night, you don’t need storage so it is the best technology but for a private company like ourselves, it’s extremely difficult to implement it.

“So to get the licence to use it, to get the licence to launch it, all these things would be extremely difficult and of course, there’s the public perception about nuclear which is growing more and more negative. I think that the support for our mission is more easily drummed up is we use solar.”

Mr Lansdorp believes there are also other possibilities like geothermal but that would require more infrastructure, investment and much more time to develop.

You can join in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #ELF2018.

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